Table-driven approach for inserting and printing tabs

Abstract

A computer program operates a printer to insert tabs into a multipage document. The physical tabs are stored in one of printer's insert bins. A graphical user display shows a bank of tabs in a layout table. A tab is activated by specifying a page for the tab. Text and graphics may be entered on the tab or selected from templates for labels and style. A layout template stores data on the layout of one or more standard banks of tabs. The computer program automatically balances the number to tabs and automatically deletes unused blocks of tabs.

1. A printing method for locating tabs during a print job having multiple output sets, each said set including a plurality of sheets of tabbed ordered media having a repetitive sequence and a plurality of other sheets of media, the method comprising printing the print job, said printing including the steps of:
 selecting from multiple tab layout templates each having a bank of tabbed stock; 
 loading a tab layout template to a list of tabbed ordered media having individual entries identifying each of the tabbed ordered media of said bank; 
 generating a new tab entry in a tab creator by cycling through said entries on said list wherein each entry is designated an active tab or an inactive tab such that said active tab location has a page number and said inactive tab location does not have a page number; 
 balancing said active tabs for referencing said tab layout template; 
 feeding said of tabbed ordered media into a media path through the printer to an output destination at designated tab locations; 
 determining if each of said of tabbed ordered media have been delivered to said output destination and discarding inactive tabs; 
 setting for every entry in tab layout template to a next said entry in said sheet list responsive to each said determining that a respective one of said of tabbed ordered media has been delivered; and 
 repeating said loading, iterating, balancing, feeding, determining, discarding and setting steps for each of said output sets in full banks such that if there are entries in a bank not assigned to the table that a blank is entered into the table for the rest of the tab entries in that bank of tabs. 
 
   
   
     2. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 storing a template of banks of tabs; 
 storing a name identifying each template; and 
 storing a position of each tab in each bank of tabs relative to the reference location of a document. 
 
   
   
     3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of generating an inactive tab entry where the tab creator detects a blank line. 
   
   
     4. The method of  claim 1  further comprising a step of selecting a style for a text on a tab comprising selecting a type of font and a size of font for the text. 
   
   
     5. The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of balancing the tabs comprises evenly spacing the active tabs relative to the reference edge of the document. 
   
   
     6. The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of discarding the unused tabs comprises sending the unused tabs to a purge exit in a printer.